Experimental Evidence for Common Driving Effects in Low-Energy Fission from Sublead to Actinides

C Schmitt,C Raison,B Jacquot,D Ramos,L Stuttgé,D Curien,J Dudouet,D Ralet,O Dorvaux,F Didierjean,S Biswas,B De Canditiis,I Tsekhanovich,A Lemasson,A Jhingan,E Clément,Y H Kim ,A N Andreyev ,J.d Frankland ,M Ciemała ,B M Retailleau ,Karl‐Heinz Schmidt ,G Duchêne

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.126.132502

Abstract

Isotopic distributions of fragments from fission of the neutron-deficient ^{178}Hg nuclide are reported. This experimental observable is obtained for the first time in the region around lead using an innovative approach based on inverse kinematics and the coincidence between the large acceptance magnetic spectrometer VAMOS++ and a new detection arm close to the target. The average fragment N/Z ratio and prompt neutron M_{n} multiplicity are derived and compared with current knowledge from actinide fission. A striking consistency emerges, revealing the unexpected dominant role of the proton subsystem with atomic number between the Z=28 and 50magic numbers. The origin of nuclear charge polarization in fission and fragment deformation at scission are discussed.

Highlights

Isotopic distributions of fragments from fission of the neutron-deficient 178Hg nuclide are reported
It is well established that the fission process plays a crucial role in fundamental nuclear physics, astrophysics, and societal applications
These observables are intimately related to the potential-energy landscape of the fissioning system, which is expected to be governed by the quantum effects in the nascent fragments on the way toward scission

Summary

Introduction

Isotopic distributions of fragments from fission of the neutron-deficient 178Hg nuclide are reported. Since the discovery of fission, complete fragment mass (A) distributions were measured mainly in the actinide region at low excitation energy (EÃ up to a few MeV above the fission barrier) [2].

Results

Conclusion